Many shipping companies attach transmitting devices to shipping containers to track their geographic location. This allows the shipping company to determine the geographic location of the container as it moves between the origination and destination points to determine whether the goods inside the container are on time, late, or somehow misplaced. For instance, the container may have been misrouted or been placed on the incorrect airline to reach its destination. The advantages of tracking the position of the goods are many and therefore have become commonplace throughout the shipping industry.
The tracking devices associated with the container transmit and receive various types of communication signals, such as electromagnetic and/or radio frequency signals, for determining the geographic position. A problem occurs when the container with the tracking device is loaded onto a transportation vessel, such as an aircraft, as the signals may potentially cause interference with the aircraft systems. Regulatory agencies, such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), place restrictions on communications signals due to their potential interference with flight systems and communications. Before the present invention, containers with tracking devices could not be loaded onto vessels such as an aircraft because of this potential interference. Containers with tracking systems may also be present in other areas that require intrinsically safe conditions. It is therefore necessary that the tracking device be deactivated while the container is on board the transportation vessel or in an intrinsically safe area.
It has been determined that for a deactivation method, it is inadequate to rely on a person to manually switch off the tracking device when it enters the aircraft. For example, human operators may forget to deactivate the tracking device when the container is entered into the transportation vessel. Additionally, these containers are normally tightly packed into the transportation vessel cargo hold in such a manner that they are not easily accessible once the transportation vessel has been completely loaded. One container with a tracking device still activated that is loaded onto a transportation vessel may require that the entire transportation vessel be unloaded to access and deactivate the trackingdevice. Further, once the container is removed from the transportation vessel at the end of its journey, the tracking device must be reactivated so the container can again be adequately tracked.
As a further consideration, the tracking device must be installed on the container such that it does not interfere with the currently existing cargo handling equipment. This includes placement of the transmitting device in a location such that it is not easily damaged by either the cargo handling equipment or a turbulent aircraft ride.
Thus, there remains a need for a reliable method and system for deactivating the tracking device once it has been loaded onto a transportation vessel such as an aircraft.